Ash Wednesday marks the start of the season of Lent on the Christian calendar. Lent is the time when believers prepare our hearts for the coming of Easter; it’s the time for reflecting on the sacrifice that Jesus made for each one of us when He went to the cross. We can do this in several ways:
- Prayer
- Repentance
- Practice of spiritual disciplines
- Attending services
- Denying ourselves something (such as giving up a favorite food)
Let’s Humble Ourselves
On this first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, we humble ourselves before God. Some faiths remind us of this by placing ashes on their congregants’ foreheads with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
In that spirit, we’d like to revisit a post we wrote previously to help you start Lent in a humble, reflective manner. Here is the link to the Ash Wednesday pdf:
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below, and we pray you and your loved ones have a blessed start to this season of Lent!
Hi there, I have a question something that really confuses me, some people don’t eat meat on several days of lent, is this a tradition for some religious? And is this in the Bible?
Hi, Orquidia,
Thanks so much for your comment!
Regarding not eating meat, some faiths (usually Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Methodist traditions) do this on Ash Wednesday and on every Friday of Lent to mark the sacrifice that Jesus made while He was fasting in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:1-11). It’s a sacrifice on their part in response to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. The Bible itself doesn’t tell us to do this. These faiths make if part of their traditions for their congregants to do if they are medically able to do so.
Along the same lines, some people will “fast” from or give up something favorite of theirs for the entire time of Lent to emulate Jesus’ fasting in the desert. For example, like chocolate or cake, etc.
Let us know if you have any more questions. Thanks, again!